The Ladder was a Yes album released in 1999 by the long-standing Yes line-up of Jon Anderson, Chris Squire, Steve Howe and Alan White, joined by Russian keyboardist Igor Khoroshev and the guitarist Billy Sherwood. Khoroshev had already participated in a number of live Yes concerts, and had contributed to some former albums as a session player. Sherwood had been heavily involved in Yes, having done keyboard for Open Your Eyes as well as being the mixer, and de-facto producer, of the studio work from Keys to Ascension. However, his contribution to The Ladder was primarily as a second guitarist and although a number of riffs and guitar work on the album are his, Steve Howe later called his involvement "unnecessary". Sherwood participated in the world tour after The Ladder, but this was the en